Dulcimer Manufacturers and Makers
www.smokeymountaindulcimer.com -
Owned a run by Blaine Horlocker, the Smokey Mountain Dulcimer Works
makes a variety of top-class dulcimers. He was taught by
his grandfather up in the smokey mountains how to make musical instruments.
He makes
a fine array of other instruments as well, such as the ever popular strum
stick
Smokey Mountain Dulcimer Works
Florida, USA
Phone: 239-910-5216
blaine_horlocker@yahoo.com
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www.bearmeadow.com
Owned and run by Dwain Wilder, Bear Meadow Appalachian Dulcimers make
fantastic hand-built dulcimers. Below are Dwain's own words from his
website:
"My goal is making Appalachian dulcimers
of superb beauty, projection, voice and action. I'd be happy to discuss
building one for
you. And I
would also like to pass on as much as I can to aspiring builders and
my luthier colleagues, to advance the state of the art. The information
in these web pages will give you lots of details about what models I
offer and my dulcimer building techniques, which you can use to learn
how to build a mountain dulcimer".
email: dwain@bearmeadow.com
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www.myspace.com/hughscullion
This is my good friend Hugh Scullion's website - the maker of my solid
bodied electric mandola. An instrument that has become the mainstay of
my playing in the band. You can see a pic of me with this instrument
on the contact page.
Hugh makes a whole variety of top class musical instruments to customers
specifications - each one just as phenomenal as the next.
Hugh
also makes the "Strummer" and "Superstrummer".
The Original Strummer - acoustic only
The Superstrummer - acoustic with opt. pickup
The STRUMMER and SUPERSTRUMMER are suitable for melody or chords, but ideal
for folk, Irish , celtic and American folk music.Amazingly powerful and sweet
sounding instrument. Easy to play and great fun! Ideal for backpacking and
holidays.
Phone 01724 863095
email: strummer58@tiscali.co.uk
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www.jamesjonesinstruments.com
James has been building fine custom musical instruments
since 1978 in rural Bedford, Virginia. Working alone in a wood shop he
designed and built, he has developed designs for ten different acoustic
instruments. He is constantly working on research and development, sometimes
alone, sometimes in collaboration with customers and professional musicians.
Always striving to build better quality instruments and never
content with the status quo. No assembly lines, just a lot of individual
attention from start to finish. He can work with you to individualize
your instrument or provide you with one he has created. He tries to keep
his prices affordable so music can be a part of the lives of more people.
A really nice guy and a great builder. Here's what he says about his
company:
"I am a custom builder most well known for the
11 different models of hammered dulcimer I build including my ever popular
3/16/18/9
Custom Performance, the Linear Chromatic and Tsimbls. I also build and
offer for sale a variety of other musical instruments to include Appalachian
Dulcimers, Celtic Harps, Irish Bouzoukis, Guitars, Mandolins, Bowed Psalteries,
Zithers, Thumb Pianos and Slit Drums. Also available are a full range
of accessories, recordings, instructional materials and cases".
James Jones - Musical Instruments
1384 Coltons Mill Rd,
Bedford, VA 24523-5259
Phone: (540) 586-6319
email: james@jamesjonesinstruments.com
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www.oakwoodinstruments.co.uk
Here is
a company making a range of beautiful, hand-crafted instruments designed
with players in mind. They make the whole range - Guitars, Banjos, Mandolins
- even harps and hammered dulcimers.
Always a warm and friendly welcome in their Aladdins Cave of top class
musical instruments. If you visit the shop be sure and allow enough time
to view their extensive range. (a note of warning - take along a handkerchief
- their quality and craftsmanship of their musical instruments will make
you weep with joy)
Oakwood Instruments
8 Ladywood Road,
Leeds
LS8 2QF.
phone 0113 2658585
fax 0113 2933011
email:workshop@oakwoodinstruments.co.uk
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www.bluelioninstruments.com
Not only are Blue Lion friendly people to deal with, they also make
fabulous instruments. Here's what their website says:
Since 1977, Blue Lion has been offering acoustic guitars and mountain
dulcimers of the highest quality. We pride ourselves on the level of
craftsmanship and aesthetic style for which our instruments are known,
and continually strive to perfect our craft. Our instruments are not
manufactured on an assembly line but are individually crafted by the
two of us to the highest standards possible. In our 1600 square foot
shop we combine the best elements of traditional tools and equipment
with modern high precision machinery to produce instruments of unsurpassed
quality and excellence.
Blue Lion
10650 Little Quail Lane
Santa Margarita,
CA
93453
phone: (805) 438-5569
email: dulcimers@bluelioninstruments.com
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www.michaeljking.com
Handmade musical instruments of all shapes, kinds and types - some I
have only barely heard of. A fascinating website for all kinds of folkies
and those specifically interested in the rarer types of string instruments.
Michael makes a fantastic range of stick dulcimers including an electric
model. Although all his instuments are carefully and lovingly crafted
from only the choicest woods, his prices seem to me to be very reasonable.
Michael J King
62 Lansdown Crescent Lane
Cheltenham GLOS
GL50 2LD
phone 01242 239
767
email michaeljking@btinternet.com
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www.dulcimercraft.com
Jack Larwa of Dulcimercraft makes some truly outstanding
dulcimers that not only sound great but are also very pleasing to the
eye. Here is an excerpt from his website:
"I construct all of my instruments from top grade solid
woods. I test each board for resonant quality before I begin to think
about it for an instrument. I use a wide variety of woods ranging from
Acer to Ziricote. I predominantly use nitrocellulose lacquer in the finishing
of my dulcimers, but for some special projects I will use a French polish
procedure, which is basically a fancy way to say "hand-rubbed shellac".
Jack Larwa
208 Jenkins Road
Eddyville, KY 42038
phone: (270) 625 6730
email: jack@dulcimercraft.com
www.steveparksmusic.com
Apart from technical skill and craftsmanship, what sets
a good instrument apart from a truly great one is the love of music the
maker puts into it, and this is what Steve Parks does. Not only does
he make some truly wonderful Dulcimers, Octave Mandolins and Tenor Guitars
he is also one heck of a nice guy. Here's a snippet from his website:
" In 1972, at the age of fourteen, I first heard a mountain
dulcimer, and was completely entranced. Two days later I bought a kit,
slapped it together and my life has been ruined ever since. A few more
kits, then a couple from scratch (along with a few piles of kindling),
learning to play the mandolin and some other instruments, knowing all
along that one couldn't hardly get away with doing this for a living.
For several years, I did as much wood carving, cooking, odd jobs, instrument
making and playing music as a transient hippie can on kitchen tables
and back porches. In 1983 I started work at Colonial Heritage Reproductions
in Hinton, Virginia, building fine custom Queen Anne style furniture,
doing a lot of carving and restoration and the occasional instrument
on and off for ten years.
By my mid-thirties, after trying several professions while playing music
on the side, I realized this was what I should have been doing all along,
so, with lots of support from my long-suffering wife, dove back into
instrument making and performing whenever I wasn't chasing the kids around.
Life is good."
Steve Parks
10001 Rooster Ridge Ln.
Dayton,
VA 22821
Phone: (540) 867-0225
email:
swparks@northriver.coop
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www.ulrich-instrumente.de
Wilfried Ulrich OF Ulricus is a maker of truly splendid dulcimers, but
also an instrument I wasn't formerly acquainted with - The Hummel. A
Hummel is similar to a dulcimer but has drone strings - anyway go look
for yourselves, this guy makes some great looking instruments
ULRICUS - Instrumentenbau
Wilfried Ulrich
Am Diekschloot 40
D - 26506 Norden / Ostfriesland
email: ulricus.norden@t-online.de
